Mailbox stand



Dec. 6, 1966 G, F, MCKENNEY ETAL 3,289,988

MAILBOX STAND Filed Sept. ll, 1964 United States Patent Orifice3,289,988 Patented Dec. 6, 1966 3,289,988 MAHLBOX STAND George F.McKenney RFA). 3, Box 225, Auburn, Maine, and Armand E. Anctil, 520 EastAve., Lewiston, Maine Filed Sept. 11, 1964, Ser. No. 395,755 6 Claims.(Cl. 248-145) This invention generally relates to mailbox stands andmore particularly to a mailbox stand construction for use in regionswhere snow plowing is prevalent and there is the problem of the saidmailbox stand being damaged from the said snow plow or said mailboxstand is inaccessible because the snow is so banked from said snow plowand said snow is usually removed by physical means.

An object of the invention is to provide a mailbox stand which is simplein construction, easy to use, well adapted for its intended purposes andrelatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mailbox stand that ismoveable when said mailbox stand is struck by a moving object such as asnow plow and afterwards said mailbox stand returns to its originalposition through the force of gravity.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mailbox stand that willreduce the incidence of hand shoveling of snow because the said snow maybe removed by power plows as said mailbox stand yields when said mailboxstand is in collision or pushed by said snow plow.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view in unassembled condition of the mailboxstand of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top broken-away plan view of the right pivot slot of thesupport pivot arm of FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a top broken-away plan view of the left pivot slot of thesupport pivot arm of FIG. l.

Referring now to the iigures in greater detail, there is provided a mainattaching bracket 22 including a vertical bracket 19 with a pivot block18 and a lower pivot support arm 17. The vertical bracket 19 may be ofchannel iron or the like, however, it is within the purview of thepresent invention to dispense with the vertical bracket 19 and affix thepivot block 18 and the lower pivot support arm 17 to a post set intheground.

If the vertical bracket 19 is employed, the main attaching bracket 22 isattached to a post 20 by standard bolts or large screw 13. The pivotblock 18 has an opening 2 larger than and adapted to receive top pivotpin 1. The lower support pivot arm 17 has two pivot slots 4-4A and 6-6Amore clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, adapted to receive lower pivot pins3 and 5 respectively.

The main pivot arm 23 has attached as shown, but not of necessity a toppivot pin 1, pivot pin 1 may be any means whereby the top of `diagonalhanger 14 will be` permitted to swivel on pivot block 18. Also there isattached a lower pivot arm l16 that has attached lower pivot pins 3 and5. The lower pivot arm 16 is attached to main arm 7. Top pivot pin 1 andlower pivot pins 3 and 5 are parallel to each other and at right anglesto main arm 7. The diagonal hanger 14 is attached at the upper end by avertical support 15 that is also attached at its lower end to main arm7. The lower end of the diagonal hanger 14 is attached directly to mainarm 7. The main arm 7 may be as shown a rectangular tubing but not ofnecessity as this may be square, round or of any shape that extensionarm 8 may be attached with adjustments on the longitudinal axis of mainarm 7.

The hole 2 in pivot block 18 and slots 44A and 6-6A in the lower supportpivot arm 17 are so aligned that when top pivot pin 1 and lower pivotpins 3 and 5 are in and resting on their respective points the main arm7 is disposed at right angles to the post 20 and at right angles tolower support pivot arm 17.

The extension arm 24 consists of an arm 8 that, as shown but not ofnecessity, slides into main arm 7. Arm 8 may have holes 12 to align withhole 11 in main arm 7 to allow said arm 8 to be fixed to said main arm 7at its various positions by a standard cotter pin or any other means oflixing them together. Arm 8 has attached a front mail box support 10 andrear box support 9 spaced on arm 8 to provide means of attaching allsizes of mail boxes approved by the postmaster. The front mail boxsupport 10 and rear box support 9 may be of any length to accommodateone (l) or more standard mail boxes.

In the operation of the device the main attaching bracket 22 is attachedto a post with the lower support pivot arm 17 located above the groundso that mail box 21 is at the proper height when main pivot arm 23 andextension arm 24 are resting on the attaching bracket with top pivot pin1 in hole 2. Lower pivot pins 3 and 5 rest against the base of slots4-4A and 6-6A respectively; the weight of main pivot arm 23, extensionarm 24, and mailbox 21 are supported on pivot block 18 and compressionweight against lower support pivot arm 17 through the lower pivot pins 3and 5 in respective slots 4-4A and 6-6A. There is a clearance betweenthe lower support pivot arm 17 and the lower pivot arm 16. When eitherthe mailbox 21 or the front mailbox support 10 is in collision or ismoved by other means from its normal position, i.e. in contact with asnow plow blade from either side said mailbox stand will yield byswinging on the top pivot pin 1 in hole 2 and an either one of lowerpivot pins 3 or 5 in either slot 4-4A or 6-6A depending on the side ofcontact by said snow plow. If said contact is on or from the right sidefacing said mailbox the said mailbox stand will be caused to swing tothe left making an elliptical arc back and upwards from its normalhorizontal plane which said arc has arradius equal to a line drawn fromlower pivot pin 5 to the center of front mailbox support 10. Gravityreturns the mailbox stand to its normal position through oscillationfrom right to left of the normal rest position until momentum has beenexhausted. The resistance to being moved from its rest position and therapidity of return to the original position of the said mailbox stand isgoverned by the distance between slots 4-4A and 64A which are also equalto the distance between lower pivot pins 3 and 5. If the pivotingportion of the mailbox stand should circumscribe an arc of V degrees ormore the lower pivot pins 3 and 5 will alternately slide into slots 4Aor 6A which are yolf center and to the front from slots 4 or 6 thereforeeliminating the possibility of the lower pivot pins 3 or 5 from beingdisengaged out of their respective slots 4-4A or 6-6A. Theslots 4-4A and6-6A are so designed as to have the outer edge vertical and the inner,

than the diameter of lower pivot pins 3 and 5. The mail-l box 21 may beextended over or out beyond the plowed snow in cases where the snow isnot moved back sufficiently to make said mailbox accessible to the mailcarrier by removing the standard cotter pin from hole 1l and extendingarm 8 out over said plowed snow and relocating cotter pin through hole11 and hole 12 that may line up with hole 11.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

Having thus lcompletely and fully described the invention, what is newis now claimed as follows:

1. A mailbox support comprising a mounting portion including a pivotblock having an opening therethrough; a horizontal arm including twospaced apart slots; said slots approximately equidistant from said pivotblock; and said pivot block and slots adapted to be mounted in verticalrelationship, an arm, a pivot, means on said arm adapted to hold saidpivot spaced apart from said arm, said pivot adapted to be disposedthrough the opening in said pfivot block, support means on said armspaced apart from said pivot, said support means extending horizontallyfrom said arm, a pin depending from each end of said support means, andsaid two pivot pins on said support means adapted to t within said pivotslots and spaced to correspond with said slots, said arm adapted topivot on the pivot and one of said pins in an upward direction uponapplication of lateral pressure, the pivot pivoting in said pivot blockand one pin pivoting in its corresponding slot.

2. A mailbox support comprising a mounting portion including an upperpivot block having an opening therethrough; a horizontal arm includingtwo lower horizontal spaced apart slots; said lower slots approximatelyequidistant from said upper pivot block, and said upper pivot block andlower slots adapted to be mounted in vertical relationship, an arm, anupper pivot, means on said arm adapted to hold said upper pivot spacedapart from said arm, said upper pivot adapted to be disposed through theopening in said upper pivot block, two lower pivot pins, support meanson said arm spaced apart from said upper pivot, said pins and supportmeans extending horizontally from said arm with said pins depending fromeach end of said support means, and said two lower pivot pins on saidsupport means adapted to t within said lower pivot slots in and spacedto correspond with said lower slots, said arm adapted to pivot the upperpivot and one of said pins in an upward direction upon application oflateral pressure, said upper pivot pivoting in said upper pivot blockand one lower pin pivoting in its corresponding lower slot.

3. A mailbox support comprising a unitary mounting portion including amain attaching bracket having an upper pivot block having an openingtherethrough; a horizontal arm including two lower horizontal spacedapart slots; said lower slots approximately equidistant from said upperpivot block, said main attaching bracket adapted to be axed to avertical post, mounted vertically an arm, an upper pivot, means on saidarm adapted to vhold said upper pivot spaced apart from said arm, saidupper pivot adapted to be disposed through the opening in said upperpivot block, two lower pivot pins, support means on said arm spacedapart from said upper pivot, said pins and support means extendinghorizontally from said arm with said pins depending from each end ofsaid support means, and said two lower pivot pins on said support meansadapted to fit within said lower pivot slots in and spaced to correspondwith said lower slots, ysaid arm adapted to pivot the upper part and oneof said pins in an upward direction upon application of lateralpressure, said upper pivot pivot-` ing in said upper pivot block and onelower pin pivoting in its corresponding lower slot.

4. A mailbox support comprising a mounting portion including an upperpivot block having an opening therethrough; a horizontal arm includingtwo lower horizontal spaced apart slots; said lower slots approximatelyequidistant from said upper pivot block, each said lower slot having aninward extending portion, said upper pivot block and lower slots adaptedto be mounted in vertical relationship, an arm, an upper pivot, means onsaid arm adapted to hold said upper pivot spaced apart from said arm,said upper pivot adapted to be disposed through the opening in saidupper pivot block, two lower pivot pins, support means on said armspaced apart from said upper pivot, said pins and support meansextending from each end of said support means, and said two lower pivotpins on said support means adapted to t within said lower pivot slots inand spaced to correspond with said lower slots, said arm adapted topivot in an upward direction upon application of lateral pressure, saidupper pivot pivoting in said upper pivot block and one lower pinpivoting in its corresponding lower slot, the inward extending portionof said lower slot adapted to maintain said lower pin within said slotduring pivoting.

5. A mailbox support as described in claim 4 wherein said arm is adaptedto receive an extending portion, said extending portion being adapted tobe adjustable axed to said arm.

6. A mailbox support comprising a mounting portion including an upperpivot block having an opening therethrough; a horizontal arm includingtwo lower horizontal spaced apart slots; said lower slots approximatelyequidistant from said upper pivot block, each said lower slot having aninward extending portion, `said upper pivot block and lower slotsadapted to be mounted in vertical relationship, an arm, an upper pivot,a diagonal support on said arm adapted to hold said upper pivot spacedapart from said arm, vertical support means between said diagonalsupport and said arm, said upper pivot adapted to be disposed throughthe opening in said upper pivot block, two lower pivot pins, supportmeans on said arm spaced apart from said upper pivot, said pins andsupport means extending horizontally from said arm with said pinsdepending from each end of said support means, and said two lower pivotpins on said support means adapted to t within said lower pivot slotsand spaced to correspond with said lower slots, and extending portionadjustably aixed to said arm, said arm and extending portion adapted topivot the upper and one of said pins in an upward direction uponapplication of lateral pressure, said upper pivot pivoting in said upperpivot block and one lower pin pivoting in its corresponding lower slot,the inward extending portion ofsaid lower slot adapted to maintain saidlower pin within said slot during pivoting.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 99,822 2/1870Banney 16-156 234,018 11/1880 Fowler 16-156 1,358,710 11/1920 Day 16-1561,834,774 12/1931 Hall 248-145 2,605,073 7/ 1952 Buck 248--204 CLAUDE A.LE ROY, Primary Examiner.I

J. F. FOSS, Assistant Examiner.

1. A MAILBOX SUPPORT COMPRISING A MOUNTING PORTION INCLUDING A PIVOTBLOCK HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH; A HORIZONTAL ARM INCLUDING TWOSPACED APART SLOTS; SAID SLOTS APPROXIMATELY EQUIDISTANT FROM SAID PIVOTBLOCK; AND SAID PIVOT BLOCK AND SLOTS ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED IN VERTICALRELATIONSHIP, AN ARM, A PIVOT, MEANS ON SAID ARM ADAPTED TO HOLD SAIDPIVOT SPACED APART FROM SAID ARM, SAID PIVOT ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSEDTHROUGH THE OPENING IN SAID PIVOT BLOCK, SUPPORT MEANS ON SAID ARMSPACED APART FROM SAID PIVOT, SAID SUPPORT MEANS EXTENDING HORIZONTALLYFROM SAID ARM, A PIN DEPENDING FROM EACH END OF SAID SUPPORT MEANS, ANDSAID TWO PIVOT PINS ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS ADAPTED TO FIT WITHIN SAIDPIVOT SLOTS AND SPACED TO CORRESPOND WITH SAID SLOTS, SAID ARM ADAPTEDTO PIVOT ON THE PIVOT OF SAID PINS IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION UPONAPPLICATION OF LATERAL PRESSURE, THE PIVOT PIVOTING IN SAID PIVOT BLOCKAND ONE PIN PIVOTING IN ITS CORRESPONDING SLOT.